First US woman in space dies

Sally Ride, the first US woman to go into space, has died at the age of 61 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Ride broke new ground for American women in 1983, when at the age of 32 she and four crewmates blasted off aboard space shuttle Challenger.

But she had been preceded into space by two female Soviet cosmonauts: Valentina Tereshkova in 1963; and Svetlana Savitskaya in 1982.

Her death was confirmed by her foundation, Sally Ride Science.

US president Barack Obama called her a "national hero and a powerful role model" who "inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars".

"Sally's life showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve and I have no doubt that her legacy will endure for years to come," he added, in a statement offering condolences to Ride's family and friends.

NASA administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement that Ride "literally changed the face of America's space program" and that "the nation has lost one of its finest leaders, teachers, and explorers."

"Sally Ride broke barriers with grace and professionalism - and literally changed the face of America's space program," the former astronaut said in a statement.

"She will be missed, but her star will always shine brightly."

The agency's deputy administrator Lori Garver added that the trailblazing astronaut was a "personal and professional role model to me and thousands of women around the world."

You feel like a 600-pound gorilla is sitting on top of you. Your arms feel like they're made of lead. Your notebook feels like it weighs a ton.

Then suddenly the space shuttle engines stop. The gorilla vanishes. Your arms are lighter than air and your notebook floats up in front of your face.

Female role model

Ride grew up in Los Angeles and attended Stanford University, where she earned degrees in physics and English, before joining NASA's astronaut corps in 1978.

She returned to space for a second mission a year her first flight, and was assigned to a third shuttle flight, but training for the mission was cut off after the fatal 1986 Challenger accident that claimed the lives of six colleagues and a schoolteacher.

According to the foundation, Ride became an advocate "inspiring young people, especially girls, to stick with their interest in science, to become scientifically literate, and to consider careers in science and engineering."

On her foundation's website, Ride said of her historic foray into space: "The thing I'll remember most about the flight is that it was fun."

The company creates science programs and publications for elementary and middle school students and educators.

Ride, also a science writer, authored five science books for children and served on dozens of NASA, space and technology advisory panels, including the board that investigated the second fatal space shuttle accident in 2003.

She is survived by her mother, her partner Tam O'Shaughnessy, a sister, a niece and a nephew.

Sally's life showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve and I have no doubt that her legacy will endure for years to come.

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